[Monthly Newsletter] Witr Prayer: How to Pray, Time and Number of Rak’ah

Assalam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

(In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful).

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Introduction

Witr Prayer is a Sunnah Prayer that is prayed at night. It is recommended that the muslim observes witr prayer every night.

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، – رضى الله عنه – قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم

يَا أَهْلَ الْقُرْآنِ أَوْتِرُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ وِتْرٌ يُحِبُّ الْوِتْرَ ‏

(1416) صححه الألباني في صحيح أبي داود

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

O people of the Quran, pray Witr, for Allah is One and loves that which is odd-numbered.

Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud (1416)

The Prophet ﷺ Advised Abu Hurairah to Pray Witr Before Sleeping

The Prophet ﷺ gave 3 advices to Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him):

1. To fast 3 days a month
2. To pray two rak`at of Duha prayer (forenoon prayer)
3. To pray witr before sleeping (Read next section: Time for witr prayer).

See Sahih al-Bukhari 1981 and Sahih Muslim 721

Time for Witr Prayer

Witr Prayer can be prayed from after praying ‘Isha prayer until dawn begins

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم

إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَمَدَّكُمْ بِصَلاةٍ وهي الْوِتْرُ جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ فِيمَا بَيْنَ صَلاةِ الْعِشَاءِ إِلَى أَنْ يَطْلُعَ الْفَجْرُ

رواه الترمذي (452) وصححه الألباني في صحيح الترمذي

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Allah has prescribed for you a prayer which is Witr; Allah has enjoined it for you during the time between ‘Isha prayer until dawn begins.

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 452; classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi

It is better to pray witr at the end of the night but if one fears that they cannot wake up at the end of the night then they can pray it before sleeping.

عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم

مَنْ خَافَ أَنْ لاَ يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ أَنْ يَقُومَ آخِرَهُ فَلْيُوتِرْ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ صَلاَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَشْهُودَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ

رواه مسلم (755)

Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable.

Sahih Muslim 755

Number of Rak’ahs for Witr Prayer

The Minimum number of Rak’ahs for Witr Prayer is One Rak’ah. (Sahih Muslim 752)

One can also pray:

• 3 Rak’ahs (With one tashahud in the last raka’h OR saying tasleem in second raka’h then offer the remaining one raka’h on its own).
• 5 Rak’ahs (Continuos with one tashahud in the last raka’h)
• 7 Rak’ahs (Continuos with one tashahud in the last raka’h)
• 9 Rak’ahs (Continous until the eighth rak’ah do tashahud with no tasleem then stand up for ninth rak’ah and offer tasleem at the end)

Read more on this

What to Recite in Witr Prayer

One can recite:

• 1st Rak’ah – Surah al-A’la 87
• 2nd Rak’ah – Surah al-Kafirun (109)
• 3rd Rak’ah – Surah al-Ikhlas (112)

See Sunan an-Nasa’i 1729

What to Say After Witr Prayer

After the Salam for witr prayer say three times raising your voice the third time:

سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ

Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy

See Sunan an-Nasa’i 1750

Conclusion

It is sunnah to pray witr prayer at night and we can pray it any time after praying isha until before dawn begins. It is best to pray it in the end of the night but if one fears not waking up, then they can pray before sleeping.

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